StaffJamal Woods, far left, is accused of two counts of capital murder and two counts of attempted murder.

HUNTSVILLE, AL. -- After a deadly shooting spree on Dec. 17, 2006, capital murder suspect Jamal Woods unknowingly sought help evading police from a distant cousin of one the men he is accused of shooting at T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in Huntsville, according to testimony.

Norman Rogers of Huntsville said Woods, a longtime friend, called him for help from a La Quinta Inn on University Drive in the wee hours of Dec. 18. Rogers said he picked up Woods at the La Quinta and called another friend, Kemeyetta Summers, to pick up Woods' car.

"He said some boys disrespected him and his wife," Rogers said. "He said somebody got shot. He didn't know who did the shooting or who got shot."

Police stopped Norman Rogers and Woods on Whitesburg Drive at about 2 a.m. and held them both for questioning. Summers was stopped by police at about the same time, according to testimony.

Woods, 24, is on trial this week on a charge of murder in the deaths of Thurston Turner and Tanqueray Beavers, both of Athens. He also charged with two counts of attempted murder for allegedly wounding Autora Rogers of Athens and William Reliford of Hazel Green.

Norman Rogers testified today he didn't know at the time that he and Autora Rogers were related.

"His granddaddy and my granddaddy are brothers,' he said. "I didn't know him in that way."

Summers testified that Woods promised her a bag of powder cocaine for driving his car to an address on Thornton Avenue.